Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the treatment of female hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Government continues to be appalled by the reports of conflict-related sexual violence committed by Hamas on 7 October and against hostages, including the recent report from UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten. The UK condemns sexual violence unequivocally and without exception. Hamas must release all hostages and all reports of sexual violence must be fully investigated to ensure justice for survivors and victims. The UK has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals and their families.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what support his Department provides for the survivors of rape and sexual abuse by Arab militias in West Darfur.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, there has been a significant escalation of gender-based violence (GBV) in Sudan. The UK has pivoted our programme delivery to focus on GBV prevention, and protection and care for rape survivors. We have also integrated specific measures to address conflict-related sexual violence into the humanitarian system, making use of Women's Centres, mobile clinics and internally displaced person's gathering points, for community engagement and service provision. In 2023, over 83,399 consultation providing sexual and reproductive health services were delivered, over 104,225 people were given mental health and psychological support, and over 9,000 people benefitted from risk mitigation and response services.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts have been deployed to Ethiopia since 2020; for what purposes; how long each deployment lasted; and what assessment they have made of the impact of its work.
Answered by Lord Benyon
The UK is committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), including through the PSVI Team of Experts. Since its launch, the UK has deployed experts over 90 times globally to enhance UK and international efforts.
From June to August 2021, an expert was deployed to Ethiopia to identify opportunities for scaling up the response to CRSV. We worked with partners to implement recommendations, including enhancing support for survivors, commissioning research into the dynamics of CRSV and deploying longer-term Gender expertise. From June to October 2022, another expert provided capacity-building training to civil society on CRSV. These deployments have provided the foundation for the UK's ongoing work on CRSV in country.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to remarks by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 24 May 2023 (HL Deb col 870), when the initial £5 million, including £2 million in South Sudan, to meet the urgent needs of refugees and returnees who were fleeing the violence in Sudan was released; and on what it has been spent.
Answered by Lord Benyon
On 4 May 2023, the UK Government announced an initial £5 million allocation to support those fleeing the conflict in Sudan. In Chad, this included £1.75 million for the World Food Programme on food and logistics ahead of the rainy season and £1 million to the Sahel Regional Fund to support urgent protection and assistance by NGOs. In South Sudan, this included £1.5 million to the World Food Programme for use in border areas, £500,000 to UNICEF for Sexual and Gender Based Violence protection services and £250,000 to REACH towards initiatives to improve analysis about evolving needs to support wider humanitarian action. In total, since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the UK has allocated £15 million to support those fleeing to Chad, and £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support survivors and (b) help prevent the further use of rape as a weapon of war in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, there has been a significant escalation of gender-based violence (GBV) in Sudan. The UK has pivoted our programme delivery to focus more on care for rape survivors. We have also integrated consideration of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) into the humanitarian system, making use of Women's Centres, mobile clinics and internally displaced persons' gathering points, for community engagement and service provision. We continue to call on both warring parties to abide by their responsibilities under International Humanitarian Law to protect civilians, including from CRSV, as well as to grant immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to allow the provision of, and access to, lifesaving assistance including comprehensive GBV services.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the United Nations press release UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls, published on 19 February, concerning findings of reported human rights violations to Palestinian women and girls by Israeli security forces from (1) the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, (2) the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, and (3) the Working group on discrimination against women and girls.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK condemns sexual violence unequivocally and without exception. These reports are deeply disturbing. Reports of sexual violence must be fully investigated to ensure justice for survivors and victims.
Through our Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict programmes and dedicated funding totalling £60 million, we are leading work internationally to prevent conflict-related sexual violence and strengthen justice and support for all survivors.
Aug. 21 2024
Source Page: UK steps up support to tackle mpox outbreak on visit to the Democratic Republic of the CongoFound: areas such trade, investment, climate and combatting sexual violence in conflict.
Jul. 17 2024
Source Page: The UK calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza: UK statement at the UN Security CouncilFound: The UK calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Mar. 07 2024
Source Page: International Women’s Day 2024: UK Statement to the OSCEFound: One in three women will suffer physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes.